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Anti-CD20 therapies have demonstrated considerable efficacy in the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis, constituting a high-efficacy treatment approach for reducing relapse risk and mitigating disability progression. These therapies have been shown to strongly deplete circulating B cells and small subsets of CD3+ CD4 and CD8 T cells that express low levels of CD20. While the clinical profiles of the various anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies used in treating multiple sclerosis are well-described in the literature, greater understanding of the implications of their distinct molecular and pharmacological attributes is needed. In this review, we focus on four anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies-rituximab, ocrelizumab, ofatumumab, and ublituximab-that are currently used, approved, or in late-stage clinical development for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. We provide clinical perspectives on the potential implications of differences in molecular structures, target epitopes, dosing regimens, mechanisms and impact on B-cell depletion and reconstitution, immunogenicity, administration-related reactions, and infection risks.

To evaluate lymphocyte counts and incidences of infections in patients with primary progressive MS (PPMS) receiving fingolimod 0.5 mg/d or placebo over 5 years during the INFORMS study, to assess infection rates with longer-term treatment. INFORMS was a randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, phase 3 study of the sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulator fingolimod in patients with PPMS. Lymphocyte counts and incidences of infections were compared in patients receiving fingolimod or placebo. Infection rates were assessed in patients receiving fingolimod according to nadir and mean absolute lymphocyte count (ALC). Overall, 336 patients received fingolimod 0.5 mg/d (total exposure: 908.1 patient-years), and 487 received placebo (1,423.5 patient-years). In patients receiving fingolimod, mean ALC decreased by approximately 70% in the 2 weeks following treatment initiation and remained stable throughout the study. The incidences of all infections in the fingolimod and placebo groups were similar (53.6 vs 51.9 per 100 patient-years). The most common infections in patients receiving fingolimod were urinary tract infections (5.7 per 100 patient-years), upper respiratory tract infections (4.2 per 100 patient-years), and influenza (3.2 per 100 patient-years); incidences were similar in the placebo group (5.9, 4.2, and 3.1 per 100 patient-years, respectively). There was no apparent association between nadir or mean ALC and incidence of infection-related adverse events. In patients with PPMS, long-term treatment with fingolimod 0.5 mg/d for up to 5 years led to an expected decrease of approximately 70% in mean ALC and did not appear to correlate with increased risk of infection. Because this is a secondary analysis, this study provides Class II evidence that long-term PPMS treatment with fingolimod decreased mean ALC by approximately 70%, but did not significantly increase infection risk.

Background: Ublituximab is a novel anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody glycoengineered for enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. The phase 3 ULTIMATE I and II studies showed significant improvements in annualized relapse rate, total number of gadolinium-enhancing (Gd+) T1 lesions, and total number of new or enlarging T2 at Week 96, as well as improvement in the proportion of participants with no evidence of disease activity (NEDA) from Weeks 24–96 with ublituximab vs. teriflunomide. Methods: In ULTIMATE I (NCT03277261; www.clinicaltrials.gov) (N = 549) and II (NCT03277248; www.clinicaltrials.gov) (N = 545), participants with relapsing multiple sclerosis received ublituximab 450 mg intravenous infusion every 24 weeks (following Day 1 infusion of 150 mg and Day 15 infusion of 450 mg) or teriflunomide 14 mg oral once daily for 96 weeks. Pooled post hoc analyses evaluated NEDA by treatment epoch and participant subtype: age (≤ 38 or >38 years), early or later disease (<3 or ≥3 years following diagnosis), treatment history (treatment naïve or previously treated), 0 or ≥1 Gd+ T1 lesions at baseline, and Expanded Disability Status Scale score ≤ 3.5 or >3.5 at baseline. NEDA was defined as no confirmed relapses, no Gd+ T1 lesions, no new or enlarging T2 lesions, and no disability progression confirmed for ≥12 weeks. Results: NEDA rates in the ublituximab vs. teriflunomide cohorts by treatment epoch were: Weeks 0–96, 44.6% vs. 12.4% (3.6 × improvement); Weeks 24–96 (re-baselined), 82.1% vs. 22.5% (3.6 × improvement); and Weeks 48–96 (re-baselined), 88.2% vs. 30.4% (2.9 × improvement) (all p < 0.0001). The primary driver of disease activity in ublituximab-treated participants was new or enlarging T2 lesions during Weeks 0–24. 41.8% of ublituximab-treated participants who had evidence of disease activity in the first year (Weeks 0–48) experienced NEDA in the second year of treatment (Weeks 48–96) compared with 17.3% of teriflunomide-treated participants. At Weeks 24–96 (re-baselined), rates of NEDA were significantly higher with ublituximab than teriflunomide in all participant subtypes (all p < 0.0001). Conclusions: ULTIMATE I and II pooled post hoc analyses demonstrated a consistent NEDA benefit among ublituximab-treated participants across treatment epochs and key participant subpopulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveIn relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), suboptimal adherence to injectable disease-modifying therapies (iDMTs; interferon β-1a/b, glatiramer acetate) is common, reducing their effectiveness. Patient retention on oral fingolimod and iDMTs was evaluated in PREFERMS, a randomized, parallel-group, active-controlled, open-label, 48-week study.MethodsPatients were included if they had RRMS, were aged 18-65 years and had Expanded Disability Status Scale score up to 6, enrolled at 117 US study sites, were treatment naïve or had received only one iDMT class. Patients were randomized 1:1 (fingolimod 0.5 mg/day; preselected iDMT) by interactive voice-and-web-response system without blinding, followed up quarterly, and allowed one study-approved treatment switch after 12 weeks, or earlier for efficacy or safety reasons. The primary outcome was patient retention on randomized treatment over 48 weeks. Secondary endpoints included patient-reported outcomes, brain volume loss (BVL), and cognitive function.ResultsAnalysis of 433/436 patients receiving fingolimod and 428/439 receiving iDMTs showed that patient retention rate was significantly higher with fingolimod than with iDMTs [352 (81.3%) versus 125 (29.2%); 95% confidence interval 46.4-57.8%; p < 0.0001]. The most common treatment switch was from iDMT to fingolimod for injection-related reasons. Patient satisfaction was greater and BVL less with fingolimod than with iDMTs, with no difference in cognitive function. Adverse events were consistent with established tolerability profiles for each treatment.ConclusionsIn RRMS, fingolimod was associated with better treatment retention, patient satisfaction and BVL outcomes than iDMTs. Patients may persist with iDMTs, but many may switch treatment if permitted. Treatment satisfaction fosters adherence, a prerequisite for optimal outcomes.

Studying proteomics data of the human brain could offer numerous insights into unraveling the signature of resilience to Alzheimer's disease. In our previous study with rigorous cohort selection criteria that excluded 4 common comorbidities, we harnessed multiple brain regions from 43 research participants with 12 of them displaying cognitive resilience to Alzheimer's disease. Based on the previous findings, this work focuses on 6 proteins out of the 33 differentially expressed proteins associated with resilience to Alzheimer's disease. These proteins are used to construct a decision tree classifier, enabling the differentiation of 3 groups: (i) healthy control, (ii) resilience to Alzheimer's disease, and (iii) Alzheimer's disease with dementia. Our analysis unveiled 2 important regional proteomic markers: Aβ peptides in the hippocampus and PA1B3 in the inferior parietal lobule. These findings underscore the potential of using distinct regional proteomic markers as signatures in characterizing the resilience to Alzheimer's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]